Magnetic recording heads used in disk drives typically incorporate air bearing sliders carrying magnetic transducers that fly over the surface of a magnetic disk for transducing data signals. One objective for improving the transducing relationship between a magnetic transducer and a magnetic disk is to provide a close spacing between the transducer and the disk. When used with very narrow transducing gaps and very thin magnetic record films, the close spacing allows short wavelength, high frequency signals to be recorded, thereby affording high density, high storage capacity recording. It is also desirable to maintain a substantially constant flying height and a tightly controlled pitch of the slider relative to the disk surface. To realize controlled pitch and constant flying height, pitch stiffness of an air bearing slider needs to be controlled. Presently known air bearing sliders incorporate tapered portions at the leading edge and rails following the tapered portions. One problem that exists with known prior art air bearing sliders having leading edge tapered portions is that the attitude or pitch of the flying head is sensitive to variations in the length of the tapered portions. Thus the lengths of the tapers formed on the air bearing surface of the sliders need to be inspected and measured at the manufacturing facility to ascertain that the sliders meet specifications. The inspection process is costly and time-consuming. Only those sliders that pass the test are used, with a resultant loss in production yield. Apparently, control of taper length and pitch is very significant, particularly when the flying heads are used in small disk drives having many start/stop cycles.
A major objective in disk drive design is to make smaller compact drives with smaller components. As a result, head suspensions and head sliders have been progressively reduced in size. It is highly desirable to make a shortened slider body without sacrificing pitch stiffness control and constant flying height.